The Lady Leopards brought the heat this week as they won all three matchups against Habersham, Franklin and Commerce.
The team won their away game match on Monday against the Habersham County Raiders with a score of 40-24, as well as their Tuesday night rematch against the Franklin County Lions, getting a second taste of victory with 61-37. But perhaps their most proud moment of the week came on Friday, when they won their home rematch against cross-town rival Commerce with 72-44 and celebrated the lives of cancer survivors during their Coaches vs. Cancer event, where it was announced that the teams had raised $5,000 toward the charity.
The Lady Leopards won their away game match against the Habersham County Raiders on Monday with a score of 40-24.
The Lady Leopards traveled to Mount Airy on Monday to meet the Raiders on their court for a matchup that was originally scheduled as their opening game of the season. After unfavorable weather advisories and rescheduling, the Lady Leopards were finally able to once again meet the Raiders for their annual showdown.
Last year, the Lady Leopards lost by two points to the Raiders with 46-44, but they came back this year ready for the challenge ahead, and they did not disappoint.
The first half of the game ended in favor of the Raiders, who had a mere one point on the Lady Leopards with 14-13. The Raiders came back again in the third quarter with a four point lead with 22-18. At first, it seemed as if history might repeat itself with another close win for Habersham County, but the Lady Leopards decided in the fourth quarter that they would take home the victory. In an overwhelming offensive effort, the Lady Leopards earned 22 points in the final quarter of the game, giving them a 16 point lead on the Raiders to end the night.
Ryleigh Murphy and Kamryn Grier were the biggest point-makers of the night with 11 points each, followed by Addison Hoard with four points. Madison Adams, Reese Murphy, Valentina Torres, Nazli de La Garza, and Carley Segars also contributed to the points on the scoreboard.
Segars and Grier led in both defensive and offensive rebounds for the team, along with Hoard with four defensive rebounds. Hoard also gained the most steals during the game with four total, and Adams is credited with the most assists.
The Lady Leopards won their away game rematch against the Franklin County Lions on Tuesday with a score of 61-37.
Last week, the Lady Leopards faced off against the Lions for the first time this season on their home court and took an overwhelming victory with a 40 point lead. This time around, the Lions proved that their home court advantage and drive to take back the win would cause some difficulties for the Lady Leopards.
However, while their gap in points wasn’t as significant as their first matchup, the Lady Leopards still gained a substantial surplus of 24 points, giving them yet another victory over their old adversary.
The Lady Leopards won their much anticipated match against the Commerce Tigers with a final score of 72-44.
The Lady Leopards’ match began as people were still piling in from the Homer and Commerce areas to see their favorite teams compete against each other. The decades-old rivalry still holds strong as some new hometown faces were in attendance to witness what they hoped would be a landslide victory for the Banks County side, and the Lady Leopards didn’t let them down.
While this game proved to be more of a challenge for Lady Leopards due to the Tigers’ determination to make a comeback, the Lady Leopards still led in points throughout, especially in the first eight minutes of the game when they showcased their proficiency at the three-point line. They gained 22 points in those first eight minutes alone with the help of three-pointers by Addison Hoard, Valentina Torres, and Madison Adams.
On defense, Hoard also excelled in steals, while Carley Segars and Kamryn Grier once again exhibited their defensive prowess with rebounds and blocks.
After their second victory against the Tigers, both teams gathered on the court, some of them leading loved ones by the hand to where the rest of their teammates stood.
On Friday night, the teams were recognized for raising over $5,000 for Coaches vs. Cancer program, a fundraiser and education initiative begun by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches to provide help to those facing cancer. Loved ones who have survived the disease were also honored on the court floor, along with those who had been lost to cancer in the community.
The Lady Leopards have one game scheduled next week before Christmas on Tuesday, Dec. 20 for their rematch against the Rabun County Wildcats at home. The girls’ game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.
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